We tracked how the virus spread. What we found shows how officials’ delayed response likely cost tens of thousands of lives. nyti.ms/2YyocPr
In Seattle, people made about 4.3 million trips from the area. Thousands were contagious — researchers linked genetic samples in 14 states back to the Seattle outbreak.
New Yorkers and others continued to travel: More than 5,000 contagious people left in the first 2 weeks of March, estimates suggest.
A woman at Mardi Gras in New Orleans returned to Memphis and became the city's first known case there. The New Orleans outbreak helped seed infection across the South.
It wasn't until March 24 that much of the country shut down — stopping the exponential growth of the virus from overwhelming many parts of the country. nyti.ms/2YyocPr
But in New York City, the response was too late. Other factors, such as the city’s density and its rate of international travel, also may have played a role.
Across the U.S., that number is 36,000, the estimates say. nyti.ms/2YyocPr
Here's why the most extensive travel restrictions to stop an outbreak in human history weren't enough. nyti.ms/2A3Glvf
Most infected people are never tested. There is little capacity to trace and isolate the contacts to those who do test positive.
As lockdowns expire, new cases have spiked, with new outbreaks in the South and the West. nyti.ms/2YyocPr
See our full investigation of how U.S. officials’ slow response failed to stop the virus. nyti.ms/2YyocPr